We stayed at this hotel for a conference. The two main things it had going for it was the staff - who were exceptionally friendly - and the location - right in the heart of Berkeley. However, the room was old, small, with almost no sound proofing, no air conditioning, and a mediocre bed. There is also no gym - you need to walk to the school gym, which is a problem when you are on a tight time table. I most likely won't stay there again.

Right now, I can hear the man in the next room talking on his phone as if he were sitting right next to me. Same with the room above -- except the floor creeks when they walk. If you are looking for a quiet, peaceful hotel room, look someplace else. I don't care how much they fix the place up, the walls are paper thin and the permeability has ruined my visit.

Rooms are small, bed was lumpy/soft and not too comfortable, linens were not soft/nice and the fitted sheet pulled up from the mattress by morning. I had a bright light from the street that couldn't be dimmed by curtains shining in my eye all night, and the street noise was loud enough to wake us up throughout the night. We had to have the window open because the room smelled old/musty and was hot. There was no in room coffee pot, no in room wireless internet, a small bathroom with very old fixtures and no counter space for setting down toiletries. Parking isn't cheap/included and lot feels unsafe because it isn't well lit and no one supervises it. We paid $185/night mid-week for a very, very average experience.

Because the mattress was soft, the sheets wouldn't stay on, linens felt cheap/scratchy, and blanket was cheap/polyester foam-like if I remember correctly. Chairs were not too comfy to work in and the work space was really cramped. This is not a hotel room to do any work in or relax in. It was a place to sleep and take a shower, about on the same scale as a Ramada Inn or Motel 6.

I told the front desk staff the morning we checked out about our inability to sleep due to noise and light and he simply said "Oh, sorry to hear that" and offered us nothing at all in compensation. This was the most expensive night we had in Northern California, and we stayed at Sheratons and Hyatts the rest of the time. Sheraton and Hyatt both had very clean rooms, firm mattresses, soft linens and nice blankets/comforters and pillows, quiet rooms, flat screen TVs, complimentary water bottles, in room coffee, good room/staff service, and cost anywhere from 50-70$ less per night.

The Durant is an old hotel that has been a Berkeley tradition for many years. It is the closest hotel to UC Berkeley and has parking which are its biggest draws for me. As some other reviewers have already said, the rooms aren't that special. I have seen it improve over the years that I have visited but it still has creaky floors and drab furniture. The staff has definitely improved in the past year and are pleasant and professional. There are better hotels in the area, but the location and the traditions associated with the Durant make it a good choice if you are visiting UC Berkeley and want the spirit of the college town. The hotel even has old photos of the university on the hall walls. On football game days, it can be a madhouse in the lobby as they clear the furniture and open up the back lot to have a post game celebration. That can be fun if you are a Cal fan and the team does well, but noisy if your room is just above the lobby! (The room prices also go up on football days.)
By the way, a half a block down the street is Top Dog--another Berkeley tradition. This place has the most amazing hot dogs. It took me 10 years before I tried one and now I get one every time I visit.